Who I Am Hates Who I've Been
by PhantomDark00
Summary: Slade is back and the team thinks it's a good idea for Robin to go spend time with his new friend Stone whom he met on the internet. Will Slade find him? Go after her? Destroy the team?
1. Chapter 1

_"Dammit Stone!" The boy growled, pulling her against his body and wrapping his arms around her. She moaned in pain, but slowly wrapped her own arms around his waist. "I told you not to come after me. I told you." His voice lowered into a defeated whisper. "I told you…" She pulled back slightly and raised one hand to his face._

_"What was I suppose to do? You told me that I would be better off without you and left. I had no say in it. I…" she was silent for a moment as she searched for the right word. "I was alone for so long. And then you came and showed me that life with someone else could be fine; fun even. I couldn't stand being alone anymore. Because you ruined it, it's now your problem too." He chuckled lightly as he cradled her face lightly in his hands._

_"Stone, why don't you come live with us? With me? " He mumbled as their lips brushed._

~*~ ~*~

Stone woke up slowly, savoring the dream. She had been having it more often as of late and she had enjoyed it. Still, she wondered who the masked guy was who she always ended up kissing right before she woke up. There was something familiar about him: the way he talked, the way, the way he cared about her. Yet, she couldn't put her finger on whom it could possibly be.

Stone sighed before pushing herself into a sitting position in her bed. The blankets pooled off of her into a pile on her lap. She pushed them away before swinging her feet over the side of the bed and standing up. She groggily made her way down the hall and into her kitchen, heading towards the fridge. Stone stifled a yawn as she reached into it and grabbed a Monster off the top shelf. She cracked the top open and took a long drink before reaching over to the radio that sat on her counter and turning it on. Homecoming by Hey Monday instantly blasted through her speakers and she smiled. For some reason she had a feeling that today was going to be a wonderful day, something that rarely happened to her. Before she could over analyze the feeling, she reached over to her phone that was sitting next to the radio. She glanced at it, checking for any texts or missed calls she may have. The school had called, probably reminding her that classes started in a month. Her boss at the dance studio she worked at telling her that her 3 o'clock canceled like they did every other week. She had a handful of texts from Sara and Josh, all normal. One particular text did catch her eye. It was a number she didn't recognize. She opened it cautiously, wondering who it could possibly be. There were a few tense moments as she read it but she soon smiled.

_It's Cain. I'm going to be in your area for a few weeks and wondered if I could crash at your place. Figured it would be a great time to actually meet face to face instead of talking in that over the internet for hours. Sorry it's kind of last minute but I just found out. If I can't that's fine, I'll get a hotel room. But we could still meet, have lunch or something. _

Stone quickly flipped up the screen of her phone to use the full keyboard. She giddily typed her response and hit send. She waited for a response, holding her breath. Finally when the phone announced she had a text, she quickly read it. She let the breath she was holding out and placed her phone on the counter before happily going to tidy up her apartment and get cleaned up for her company. Finally she was going to meet the mysterious Cain. She had met him in a chat room a few months back and they had talked for almost eight hours before he said he had to leave. For the next two days, Stone had checked for his user name and, after waiting patiently, was rewarded with seeing it when she checked it before going to bed. After a week of talking over the chat room Cain had given her his MSN user name. They had been chatting for a while now. It had been only last night when Stone had asked him if he was able to text and, since he was, gave him her phone number. Almost immediately afterwards he had to excuse himself and had wished her a goodnight, hoping that they would be able to talk again in the morning if it was no problem. She had agreed happily and went to sleep.

Now, less than six hours later he had texted her, asking to meet her. She had heard about girls who gave their number to strangers and had paid dearly for it. Stone knew in her heart that Cain was not that kind of person. Sure, the others had said the same things but this was different. She knew it.

~*~ ~*~

Robin glanced down at the cell phone he gripped in his hand. It was different from the communicator he generally held and that bothered him. He sighed darkly as he watched Cyborg place the rest of his things in the trunk of the old car Robin had just acquired. Robin watched as his part robotic friend stroked the older mustang lovingly before closing the trunk. He then turned and made his way over to Robin.

"All ready, Spiky." Cyborg told him with a smile. The older boy crossed his arms and leaned on the wall of Titan's Tower as he glanced down at the Boy Wonder.

"Fan-Fucking-tastic Cy." Robin mumbled. He kicked the dirt and sighed again. He couldn't do it; couldn't be away from his team.

"It's only for a couple weeks; only until Slade gets bored. We can't have you taken as his apprentice again." He lapsed into silence to drive his point home. "Besides, this Stone girl sounds pretty kick ass. I'd go just to meet her." Cyborg finished, punching Robin's arm lightly. Robin barely smiled, thinking of his newly acquired friend. It was then his cell phone signaled he had a text. He glanced at Cyborg momentarily before turning to read the text. He smiled seeing it was from Stone.

_Sure thing Cain. You can stay with me. Don't worry about a hotel; there are no good ones anyways. Oh! That means I need food….and clean the apartment….and find my guest bedroom…. Just wondering, when are you going to be here? So I know when to be home from work purely……._

This time Robin did smile. This was so like Stone: Loyal but kind of scatter brained. He slid his screen up to use the full keyboard and quickly typed:

_Not until 2 or 3. Why don't we meet at a local Big Boy or something there so we can eat and then I can follow you home?_

He hit send. Her response was quick and two simple words.

_Can't wait._

Robin smirked and slipped his phone into his jeans before pushing off the wall. Slowly he walked over to his car. Raven, Beast Boy, and Starfire appeared from the tower and stood next to Cyborg.

"Keep me posted." Robin told them. They all nodded. "Cyborg, you're in charge." He climbed into the driver's seat and turned the car on before closing the door. They waved and he rolled down his window. "Bye." He called quietly. Slowly he started to pull away from them. A bridge appeared in front of him as Raven pulled it from the ocean floor with her magic. He flipped to one of his favorite music stations as he finished crossing. In his rear view mirror he watched the bridge disappear. Robin then glanced at his own reflection and sighed seeing his mask. Slowly, one hand on the steering wheel, he pulled it off and threw it in the back seat.

Glancing at his reflection again, bright blue eyes met his stare head on. Robin ran a hand through his hair, flattening it so it hung down around his face. It was time for him to stop being Robin and start being Cain; the boy who had been talking to Stone for months now. He had always thought that super heroes didn't need vacations, but maybe he was wrong. The past few weeks he had been stressed out and unable to sleep. This Slade thing had been unexpected and had made Robin irritable. Maybe a vacation was exactly what he needed…


	2. Chapter 2

Stone stretched lazily in her side of the booth she was sitting in. She glanced down at her cell phone and sighed. It was almost 4:30 and she had not heard from Cain. He had texted her earlier to say that he was well on his way and couldn't wait to finally meet her. She sighed again and reached for the Diet Coke in front of her, took a sip, and then let her head flop lightly against the wall.

"Maybe he's playing a sick joke on me. Maybe there is no Cain but this is a Candid Camera thing." Stone mumbled to herself. "Maybe I'm just a fool." If there was no Cain, then she did a lot of work for nothing. Her apartment was now clean, food was in her fridge, and the guest bedroom was now what it was meant to be and not her mini dance studio. That was one of the reasons she had bought that apartment; the guest bedroom. The floors where smooth and wooden. The closet covered one wall and was all mirrors. The bed folded into the wall so that she could use the whole space. The other reason she had bought it was because it was cheap and the owner did not question why a 16-year-old was moving in it by herself.

Her phone chirped jut then and she reached for it. She glanced down to see that she had received a text from Cain.

"Bout time." She growled angrily, reading it. Her anger dissipated slightly.

_Sorry I'm late. I'm in the parking lot right now. There was traffic but that is no excuse. Where are you sitting?_

Stone quickly typed her answer:

_Yeah, yeah… sure. I'm in the furthest corner, sitting alone in a booth. You can't miss me. I'm the only teen here at the moment._

She hit send and glanced around. The only other people in the restaurant where an older couple sitting on the other side of the room and the workers. Stone placed her phone on the table and glanced over at the door. It opened slowly to reveal a boy about her age. His black hair hung around his face, his blue eyes peeking out from under his bangs. He wore a black Until the Day I Die t-shirt over jeans. Checkered vans where on his feet. He glanced around the room, a frown on his face, until he spotted her. His smile was slow and deliberate as he made his way over to her and the table. Stone nodded to him as he slid into the other side of the booth. He quickly made himself at home, stretching out and placing his own phone on the table. Finally, when he was situated, he looked at her. His blue eyes where intense as they stared into her own.

"It's great to finally meet you Stone." His voice was musical, like a harmony in a song. "Sorry I'm late. Traffic was brutal on the interstate. There was an accident. I meant to text you but it was crazy. There's no excuse for it though and I apologize." He lapsed into silence as his gaze racked over her. She moved slightly, not use to a cool, collective, and calculating gaze on her. "You're not what I expect you to be, sorry to say, but it does not really surprise me." Stone smiled, knowing what he meant.

From what her other friends had told her, she sounded like a scatter-brained slob. They expected her to be a dumb and ditzy blonde. In all actuality, she was a natural brunette who had dyed her hair black with bright purple tips. Instead of wearing clothes from Hollister and Abercrombie and Finch (Stores she detested), she made her own, only once in a while going to Hot Topic to buy a special item. Today she wore one of her originals: A black long dress that she had ripped to the knee in jagged edges. She wore black ballet slippers and a small crown in her tease hair. Her huge sunglasses sat on the table next to her phone. Since she was a dancer, she was willowy but not particularly tall.

"I know. I get that a lot. It's great to finally meet you too Cain. It was surprises to get you're text this morning, but it was pleasant one." Stone told him. "For a while there I had thought that you where playing a cruel joke on me, but here you are! I expected someone a little…." She thought for a moment. "Buffer I guess would be the right word." Robin chuckled as he checked his phone.

"I guess we where both fooled. I knew you were a dancer but I was picturing blonde and- pardon me for saying- dumb." He smirked, an evil glint in his eye. "Hopefully you're not trying to fool me. I can read people very well." Stone glared at him.

"Is that a threat?!" She questioned, leaning forward. Robin shook his head, an amused look on his face. "That's what I thought." The waitress came over just then and they both ordered. They stared at each other quietly for a moment before Robin spoke again.

"It's not a good idea to let strange people stay at your house with you." He told her. "You're lucky it's a guy like me and not some strange pervert who would kill you in your sleep." Stone gave him a weary glance.

"How do I know you're not going to kill me in my sleep?" She asked. He thought about it for a moment and mumbled "good point." Stone shrugged and smiled. "Besides, if I thought you were going to kill me in my sleep I wouldn't have said yes to you coming and staying with me." He stared at her again with that calculating stare, almost to the point of glowering. Their table was silent for a moment.

"Still, you should be careful. There are people out there who would love to hurt someone like you. You're way to trusting, I noticed that when we chatted. You gave away almost all the details of your life without a second thought. What if I had been the kind of person who was a stalker? I could have easily found you and killed you." Robin lectured. Stone rolled her eyes.

"Look, your concern is touching. But I didn't invite you to stay with me so you could lecture me. You said that you needed a place to stay while you were in town and I gave you one. I can also read people very well. It's a skill I use every day. Don't worry about me, Dad." She muttered sarcastically. The waitress came and set their food in front of them, smiling slyly at Robin. "Thank you Brittney but I think he would like some food with the drool you just delivered on his plate. Don't you have other people to serve!?" The waitress glared at Stone before sashaying over to another table that had filled up in the short time she and Robin had been arguing. Robin stared at Stone as she angrily salted her chicken strips. He sighed and placed one of his hands on the one not trying to give her a heart attack.

"I'm sorry Stone. I didn't mean to come on as strong as I did. It's just that you're my friend and, even though this is the first time we have met, I would hate for something bad to happen to you. So I was slightly worried when you agreed so eagerly to have me stay with you; a boy you had only know for a few months and have never met face to face. I thought that if you where this nice to me then you could be this nice to everyone and there are some sick people out there who would take advantage of that in a way that would ruin your life. I am sorry. Really." He squeezed her hand slightly and let go, picking up his burger. It was harder then he thought being Cain, a regular boy. Robin was use to playing the hero and having people listen to him. But then he was usually behind a mask and seen in almost out of proportional glory. This was new to him; having to explain that he was worried and she needed to use her head more in a situation like this when he wasn't Robin.

He watched her carefully from beneath his bangs. Her green eyes turn from steel to a soft emerald color. She put the salt on the table and sighed, looking at him.

"I know. I know. I should think more. It's just that I've always made decisions first and thought about them later. Look, if you stop lecturing me then I'll think more, okay?" Robin nodded and Stone smiled. They went back to their dinners and picked up a nice and casual conversation, the kind that they would have if they were both on the internet. Soon their food was gone but still they sat in the booth and talked, laughing occasionally, and smiling. It was closing time at the dinner when they finally walked out, arm in arm. Robin had found that Stone was a girl who was okay with physical contact throughout the course of their dinner, so when they stood up and she looped her arm through his, he hadn't been surprised. Uncomfortable, maybe. Surprised, no. He walked her to her vehicle; a battered black pickup truck, and made sure she was safe inside before climbing into his own car to follow her back to her apartment.


	3. Chapter 3

Robin sat silently on the bed in Stone's guest room listening to her nightly ritual. It was a calming one, one Robin thought (if he was an average teen) he might take up. Robin had saw, before excusing himself to his room at her apartment, that it helped her settle down for the night.  
It had started with simply turning off the TV and settling for some calming music; slower song on her iPod's playlist. It consisted of musical pieces from ClareDLune and Yiruma as well as slower songs from bands such as All Time Low, Mayday Parade, and such. She had then locked her door and windows (something he was suspecting that she didn't normally do but since he pulled the "It's not safe!" and read her rights earlier in the afternoon, she was humoring him) before making a hot cup of tea and settling into the couch. Robin had shared a small cup of tea with her and they had talked until he finally noticed her glancing over at a book longingly that, according to her bookmark, she only had about seventy-five pages left to read. He had then excused himself to go to bed, telling her that he was exhausted. She knew that he had caught her staring at the book and had smiled sheepishly, explaining that she had made the mistake of picking it up earlier in the day. Acting as his persona Cain, he had smiled and handed the book to her, saying it was no problem and that he understood the joy of reading.

In all actuality, Robin did not understand how someone could sit for hours with a book. How could one truly enjoy it? Raven read constantly as well as Starfire if the book was interesting, according to her. Robin only read when his missions depended on it, and then it was generally case files or newspaper clippings, rarely books. He would rather spend his time doing something productive such as training, working on the R-cycle, and listening to music (besides fighting crime). Those where all exciting things to him. The only slightly boring thing he did was watch the sun rise (more often set as of late). But then he would think, really think. It was then that he usually had his big break- throughs. Reading though? He would never understand that.

And reading was what she was doing. He could picture her now; her feet curled under her, her black shorts ridding up slightly showing those long, lean dancing legs. The black tank top hugging her every curve, her hair in a pony tail that brushed against the base of her neck.

Robin shook his head and blushed in the dark. Those were not thoughts a young hero should have, especially one that was staying at a girl's home… without supervision. Robin gulped audibly. For Christ sake! He lived with two girls, two that were as lean as Stone and wore tight and revealing clothing! Yet he never felt this way around them. What was the difference?

It's because you like her…a voice in the back of his head whispered. Robin shook his head again, trying to erase the thought. He couldn't like Stone. Sure they had talked over the internet for months but this was the first time Robin had actually met her face-to-face.

It doesn't matter, the voice said. The sound was soft and musical. You care about her. If need be, you would protect her, save her, take care of her. Robin, you love Stone.

"Impossible!" Robin growled out loud. His door creaked open and he jumped, Stone's face appearing and staring at him.

"What's impossible?" she asked confusion fresh on her face. Robin stared at her momentarily, wondering what he could tell her. Lie, the voice told him. Don't tell her the truth.

'Of course not idiot!' he scowled to himself silently as he opened his mouth and the words, "Of all the things I forgot, it had to be my toothbrush," escaped out. The confusion disappeared from her face and she smiled.

"I only have a half day of work tomorrow. Why don't I drop you off at Rite-Aid and then you can take a look around town?" Stone asked, pushing the door open and leaning against the frame. Inadvertently she crossed her long legs and Robin couldn't help but stare. He forced himself to look away and clear his throat.

"Actually, if it's okay, I'd like to see you work. You only told me you taught dance and, once in a great while, complained. You never went into details." Even in the dark Robin could see the color rise and sweep across Stone's face. She uncrossed her legs and crossed them again, uncertain. He had actually asked if he could come watch her work. It was unexpected, unnerving, unpleasant even; yet part of her (a big part actually) wanted him to come so she could show off and have him see what she could do. Stone wanted him to see that she wasn't a wimp of a girl. She wanted him to see that she was powerful, in control, and able to fight for herself. She had proved it to the people in the town already but, for some reason, it was important that he saw it and, more importantly, approved of her. The feeling left her terrified. She generally never cared what people thought of her. Yet there was this person, this _**guy**_ that she had talked to for the past few months over the internet and she had just met face-to-face, she felt that she had to prove to him everything she stood for. Wondering why that was, Stone answered Robin with a "if you want Cain, but you won't be entertained. All it is are girls learning to dance and training. Nothing fun."

Robin perked up at the word "training". He knew training. He LOVED training. He was training. He smiled at Stone and shook his head.

"No worry. I would love to watch the training, maybe try it as well." Robin flinched inwardly as the words flowed from his mouth. Dancing? Really? Did he just say that? He didn't dance. Beat the shit out of stuff? Yes. Dance? Not on your life.

Stone, on the other hand, had to force back a bubble of laughter that threatened to overcome her. The thought of Cain doing exercises and training rituals that a dancer did was ridiculous and left her picturing him in the tight pants and top the male dancers wore. Thinking about it more revealed to her that he would actually look good in those clothes. She smiled, more at the image then Robin/Cain, and nodded.

"Okay." Stone told him. "That's fine. I generally go out with some of the other dancers afterwards but we can come back…" Robin shook his head vigorously.

"Don't stop doing what you normally would do because of me." Robin scowled. The voice in his head chimed in. See young one? Love. 'Shut up!' he silently commanded. He watched Stone think for a moment, a look of concentration plastered on her face. Her emerald eyes stared at a far off place momentarily before she nodded again.

"Okay." Stone told him once again. "You can meet everyone then." She yawned and covered her mouth. "I only meant to come in and say goodnight. You need anything; don't be afraid to wake me up." She thought for a moment. "Actually, be very afraid. My friends say I'm likely to rip someone's head off if I'm woken up." She smiled and yawned again. "Night." She murmured.

"Night." Robin called after her as she closed his door and made her way to her own room. He waited to call his team until he knew she was asleep. And then he was still almost silent.


End file.
